PPV Road Deaths Down, Private Passenger Fatalities Rise

The Government is welcoming a decrease in road deaths from crashes involving public passenger vehicles (PPV), even as it continues its drive to reduce those fatalities even further.
At the same time however, an increase in the number of persons dying from crashes involving private motor vehicles continues to be cause for concern.
The Road Safety Unit of the Ministry of Transport and Works has revealed that of the 89 passengers killed on the roads within the period January to October 25, 73 per cent or 65 were in private motor vehicles.
Statistician at the Road Safety Unit, Kenute Hare revealed to JIS News that quite a number of passengers were not belted properly in these vehicles. He added that in most cases, speeding contributed to crashes and deaths.
“Most of the vehicles were speeding and speeding determines the degree of injuries one will receive as a result of traffic crashes and when one is not wearing seatbelts, the risk of injuries becomes higher,” he explained.
In the meantime, PPV deaths decreased by 61 per cent for the 10-month period up to October 25, with 11 deaths compared to 28 for the same period last year. Of the 11 PPV passengers who lost their lives in crashes this year, two were girls between the ages of 10 and 14 years.
Commenting on this latest data, Mr. Hare said that some passengers seem to enjoy fast and reckless driving. This, he said, must be addressed urgently as “passengers need to recognize that they have to protect themselves.”
“We would like to encourage passengers not to travel with those drivers who insist on disobeying the Road Traffic Act and the other laws that govern the uses of the roads,” he stressed.
Mr. Hare also advised drivers to always transport their passengers safely. “We would expect you to be courteous on the road and look out for other road users and to be cognizant of the fact that you are transporting persons and you must carry them to where they are going safely,” he urged.